Educational



(No M del.)

H. 0. R. vSIEFERT.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

Ngm 380,5.32 Patented Apr. @1888.

N. PETERS. Phulc-Liihcgraphgr. Washington, D. c.

UNiTnn STATES PATENT Fries.

HENRY O. R. SIEFERT, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

EDUCATIONAL APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,532, dated April 3, 1888.

Application filed November 26, 1887. Serial No. 256,202. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY 0. It. SIEFERT, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Educational Appliances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to educational appliances, being particularly designed as an aid in teaching fractions; and it consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofmy invention, partly broken away; and Fig. 2, a vertical section taken on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A A represent two vertical standards, and each of these standards is provided with a foot, B, the latter being preferably detachable. About midway of its length each standard A is provided with a slot, a, through which is passed an end, b, of a crosspiece, O, the latter having shoulders c, that come against the inner sides of the standards. Each end I) of the crosspiece is provided with a slot, (1, that receives akey, D, the latter coming upon the outer side of the adjacent standard.

The construction just described forms one section of a frame constituting a part of my invention, and the upper ends of the standardsA A are provided with seats 6 for the vertical side pieces, E E, of another section of the frame, said side pieces being united by top and bottom cross-pieces, F F, and secured in the seats 8 by means of pins f, as best illustrated by full and dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4. Suitably secured to cleats g on the top and bottom cross-pieces, F F, at one side and in front of the upper section of the frame, is a screen, G, and extending from one to the other of the side pieces, E- E, of said frame-section are a series of wires, E, that have loosely arranged thereon blocks I I, the latter being normally hid from view by the screen.

The block I on the uppermost wire is preferably one foot in length, and represents an integer, while the blocks 1 on the succeeding wires represent fractional parts of said integer. As shown by Fig. 1, the blocks on the wires marked 2, 3, 4, and respectively represent the integer divided into halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths; those on the wires marked 6, 7, 8, and 9, thirds, sixths, ninths, and twelfths, and those on the wires marked 10 and 11, fifths and tenths.

The system just described has been found sufficient for all practical purposes; but it is obvious that the integer may be indefinitely divided, as may be found desirable.

The instructor stands in the rear of the frame, moves the integer-block out from behind the screen G, and then proceeds to show the fractional divisions of the integer by displaying from time to time the blocks on the wires below the one that supports said integerblock, and calling the attention of the class to the fact that the several blocks on each of the latter wires are certain equal parts of the integer, and that when all the blocks on any one or more of the wires are brought close together their total length is equal to that of the non sectional or integer block.

By the means above described I am enabled to readily demonstrate the fractional parts of a linear foot, and in order that the instructor may demonstrate the fractional parts of a square foot in connection with the linear one, thereby more thoroughly impressing the knowledge of fractions on the minds of the pupils, I employ a series of charts, J, having eyes k, that engage skeleton brackets K,"'detachably secured to the screen-piece G of the frame by means of nuts As bestillustrated in Fig. 2, the brackets K are each made from a single piece of wire, having a horizontal portion, j, an upward and outwardly extended portion, 75, an inwardlycurved portion, at, terminating in a shoulder. a, and an inclined portion, 0. The charts J normally depend from the horizontal portions j of the brackets K, and when not in use are protected by a cover-piece, L, on which may be printed any suitable inscription. Each of the charts has delineated thereon a symbol that preferably represents one square foot, the latter serving as an integer, and the symbol on all the charts succeeding the first one is divided into fractional parts of the integer, to

correspond with the fractional division of the block I on the upper wire, H, of the frame; or,'in other words, the first chart shows the integer and the others successively show the halves, fourths, eighths, sixteenths, thirds, sixths, ninths, twelfths, fifths, and tenths of said integer.

' The cover-piece L and each of the charts J are provided at the lower edge with a tag, 1), the tags on said charts being numbered to indicate the divisions of the integer and to facilitate the exposure of any of these charts it may be desirable to use. When any one of the charts is exposed, thecover-piece and those charts that may precede the one exposed are slipped up on the skeleton brackets and turned over to rest against the screen G, the eyes h in said cover-piece and adjacent charts being brought past the shoulders it onto the inclined portions 0 of said brackets, as best shown in Fig. 2, to hold said charts in the position to which they have been raised.

It is intended that the instructor shall use the blocks and charts conjointly; but it is obvious that either may be used independent of the other- When the blocks and charts are used conjointly, the instructor first shows the block I, that represents the linear foot, and the chart on which is delineated the symbol representing an undivided square foot, and then, by

' means of the blocks 1 and the charts showing the divisions of said symbol, explains how many fractional parts of any given value go to make up a whole number.

\Vhile I have described the blocks as being made to represent a linear foot and fractions thereof, and the charts as representing a square foot divided into a given number of fractional parts, it is obvious that other denominations may be employed, and instead of employing said blocks and charts as an aid in teaching common fractions they may also be employed in demonstrating the metric system of weights and measures, or for instructing in any study where an integer is divided into two or more equal parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A frame provided with a series of wires, a block arranged on one of the wires, and a series of blocks arranged on the other wires, the latter blocks being individually a fractional part of the one first named, in combination with a series of charts, one of which has delineated thereon a symbol indicating an integer, and the others provided with a like symbol divided into fractional parts of said integer, substantially as set forth.

2. A suitable support, skeleton brackets se cured to the support, and each bracket made from a single wire bent to have a horizontal portion, an upward and outwardly extended portion, and inwardly-curved portion termi nating in a shoulder, and an inclined portion, in combination with a series of charts, each of which is provided with eyes to engage the brackets, substantially as set forth.

3. A skeleton frame provided with a series of wires, a block loosely arranged on one of the wires, and a series of blocks likewise arranged on each of the other wires, the latter blocks being individually a fractional part of the one first named, in combinationwith a screen secured to the front of the frame, whereby said blocks may be normally hid from view, suitable brackets secured to the screen, and a series of charts arranged on the brackets, one of these charts having delineated thereon a symbol indicating an integer, and the others provided with a like symbol divided into fractional parts of said integer, substantially as set forth.

4.. A skeleton frame made in two sections, one of which comprises two vertical standards provided with detachable feet, and a crosspiece detachably uniting the standards, the other section detachably connected to the one first named and composed of two vertical pieces united by top and bottom cross-pieces, a series of wires extending from one to the other of the vertical pieces, and a screen for partially obscuring the wires, in combination with blocks arranged on the wires to represent an integer and fractional parts thereof, suitable brackets detachably connected to the screen in front of the frame, and a series of charts arranged on the brackets, one of these 'charts having delineated thereon a symbol that indicates an integer, and the others pro vided with a like symbol divided into fractional parts of said integer, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing Ihave hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY O. R. SIEFERT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM KLUG, N. E. OLIPHANT. 

